Roman

1 of 3

noun (1)

Ro·​man ˈrō-mən 

1

a

: a native or resident of Rome

b

: a citizen of ancient Rome or of the Roman Empire

2

often offensive : roman catholic

3

roman : roman letters or type

Roman

2 of 3

adjective

1

: of or relating to Rome or the people of Rome

specifically : characteristic of the ancient Romans

Roman fortitude

2

a

: latin sense 1a

b

: of or relating to the Latin alphabet

3

roman : of or relating to a type style with upright characters compare italic

4

: of or relating to the see of Rome or the Roman Catholic Church

5

: having a semicircular intrados

Roman arch

6

: having a prominent slightly aquiline bridge

a Roman nose

roman

3 of 3

noun (2)

ro·​man rō-ˈmäⁿ 

: a metrical romance

Examples of Roman in a Sentence

Noun (1)

The type should be set in roman.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Built into a natural ravine, the stadium’s site was used for ancient Greek athletic contests and later Roman spectacles before falling into centuries of disuse. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026

In Ephesus, archaeologists found a Roman-era marble bathtub and a fragment of a male statue that had been reused as a paving stone. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026

The druids declined due to expanding Roman imperialism in the region during the first centuries of the Common Era. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026

According to Turkiye Today, the objects are on view in the citadel’s Throne Hall and include funerary sculptures, relief objects, and other ancient Roman artifacts. — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 14 Aug. 2026

In Tarragona, an ancient Roman port city layered with two thousand years of history on the Mediterranean coast, thousands gathered along the waterfront to wait through a punishing late-summer heatwave for just over a minute of darkness. — Annissa Durar, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Aug. 2026

Ancient Greek poets Homer and Hesiod helped cement the mountain's mythological importance through their writings, and stories about Olympus eventually spread throughout the Greek and Roman worlds. — Brittany Anas, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Extrapolating from salacious and rumor-filled ancient sources, the novel offers an inside scoop into the machinations of the first Roman imperial family. — Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026

In Medinaceli, a Roman-era hilltop town in northeast Spain, sky watchers secured grassy viewing points hours early and crowded restaurants and bars. — Suman Naishadham, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

partly from Middle English, from Old English, from Latin Romanus, adjective & noun, from Roma Rome; partly from Middle English Romain, from Anglo-French, from Latin Romanus

Noun (2)

French, from Old French romans romance

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1765, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing Roman

• Holy Roman Empire
• Roman blind
• Roman candle
• Roman Catholic
• Roman Catholicism
• Roman collar
• Roman holiday
• Roman law
• Roman nose
• Roman numeral
• Roman shade
• the Roman alphabet

Rhymes for Roman

• bowmen
• coman
• foeman
• foemen
• gnomon
• nomen
• omen
• showman
• showmen
• soman
• toman
• yeoman

Kids Definition

Roman

1 of 2 noun

Ro·​man ˈrō-mən 

1

a

: a person born or living in Rome

b

: a citizen of the Roman Empire

2

not capitalized : roman letters or type

Roman

2 of 2 adjective

1

: of or relating to Rome or the Romans or the empire of which Rome was the original capital

2

a

: latin entry 1 sense 2

b

: of or relating to the Latin language

3

not capitalized : of or relating to a type style with upright characters (as in "these definitions")

4

: of or relating to the Roman Catholic Church